Our History and Goals

History of the Boston Prostate Cancer Support Group (BPCSG) and Goals

Statement from the founder of the BPCSG: I was diagnosed in August 1993 with a very aggressive PC with a PSA of 69 and a Gleason Score of 5+4=9. The results of my radical prostatectomy in September 1993, were that I had positive margins, i.e., the cancer had spread past the prostate capsule. In early 1994 I had external beam radiation with equipment that must be considered barbaric by today’s standards.

Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, an urologist, started the Deaconess Prostate Cancer Support Group (PCSG) one day after my surgery. I joined this five (5) person PCSG about three (3) months later, and three (3) months afterwards started a campaign to visit the Urology Department Chiefs at other hospitals in, and near, Boston, asking them to join us.

Within 6 or 8 months, eight other hospitals joined and sponsored us. Our name was the Longwood Medical Area PCSG until November 2012. Dr Steinberg moved to another state in 2008, and I asked Dr Glenn Bubley, Medical Oncologist at the BIDMC, and Director of Genitourinary Oncology, specializing in prostate cancer to be our Physician Coordinator.

We shortened our name to the Boston Prostate Cancer Support Group in November 2012, and are the largest PCSG in New England. A typical meeting may have between 70 and 100 people.

Part of the support group history has to do with another aspect of prostate cancer, namely raising money for prostate cancer purposes outside the support group. In October 2000, I asked the members of the support group to help me start a walk to raise money for Prostate Cancer Research, Education and Awareness. They willingly joined me, and six (6) months later the Boston Prostate Cancer Walk held its first walk on the Boston Common. Since then, we have had a walk every year in and around the Boston Common and PublicGardens. We raised 3.5 million dollars for prostate cancer research, awareness and education including $1,900,000 in complementing funds from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). We donated about 90 percent of this, enabling us to fund sixty five (65) new prostate cancer research projects to eleven research institutions. An astounding 1/3 of these research projects were then selected for additional funding from the NCI and other private organizations including $2.5 million to one researcher.

In the past four years we funded a major awareness campaign with 56 awareness talks at firms and organizations in and around Boston.

The Underlying purpose of this website is to improve the lives of men and their families with prostate cancer. the following goals:

1- Educate men to avoid the perils of treatment, especially if treatment may not be necessary. Of all cancers, prostate cancer is the only one that may not require treatment without jeopardizing the man’s life, or altering the outcome, if certain criteria are met. This includes younger men in their 50s and 60s not just in their 70s.2- Tell men about the various treatment options that exist, of which there are many.
3- Educate people about Diet and Nutrition that MAY or MAY not have an effect on the progress of a prostate cancer or prevent prostate cancer.
4- Inform men about the relationship between exercise, smoking and other life style factors and PC, both before a cancer has started, and after the cancer is diagnosed.
5- Inform men about the many side effects and severity of these side effects, as a result of prostate cancer treatments.
6- Alert men to the high probability of a recurrence after treatment, even if they have the proper treatment. An incorrect treatment will most likely have a much higher rate of recurrence.
7- Clarify the relationship about many conditions and activities, that are claimed to cause or effect the progress of PC.

Methods to accomplish these goals:

Articles written by doctors and PhDs. who specialize in PC, will be referenced, and in many instances, I will add commentaries, opinions or clarifications. Some articles will be written by me, and these will be based on knowledge obtained from the following sources:
A-Nineteen (19) years of attending PCSG Lectures.
B-Speaking to most of the 3700 men who have attended “my” PCSG.
C-Extensive reading of PC literature, including research in medical journals.
D-Communicating and speaking with some of the best PC specialists in this country.
E-Attending prostate cancer seminars.

From time to time, new articles will be added, and articles updated if warranted

This website and the PCSG are not controlled by any doctor(s), or organization that may benefit from either. I am not a sales person hoping to benefit, or obtain financial gain. I am a prostate cancer survivor.